Why our beef shares cost what they cost.
One steer. Eight units. Sold as eighth, quarter, half, or whole shares. We think you deserve to know exactly where every dollar goes — so here it is, line by line.
You pay one flat price per share and nothing afterward. A quarter share is $1,750 for roughly 90–110 lbs of finished beef, about $17.50 per pound with harvest, dry-aging, cutting, vacuum-sealing and freezing already covered. There is no separate processing invoice and no hanging-weight balance later.
Quick facts
- Cost basis
- Flat price per share of finished, packaged beef — not per pound of hanging weight.
- Eighth Share
- $1,000 · 45–55 lbs · ~1.5–2 cu ft (fits a fridge freezer)
- Quarter Share
- $1,750 · 90–110 lbs · ~3–4 cu ft (small chest freezer)
- Half Share
- $3,250 · 180–220 lbs · ~6–7 cu ft (7 cu ft chest freezer)
- Whole Steer
- $6,000 · 360–440 lbs · ~12–14 cu ft (large chest freezer)
- Extra processing fees
- None. Harvest, cutting and packaging are inside the share price.
- Yield
- Finished, packaged beef is typically about 55–65% of hanging weight.
- What's included
- Steaks, ground beef, roasts, stew and fajita meat, brisket or short ribs, soup bones and pure Wagyu tallow.
Flat share price vs. the other two ways to buy beef
| Long Road Ranch share | Typical per-lb hanging weight ranch | Grocery store | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost basis | Flat price per share of finished beef | $/lb of hanging weight, plus processor fees | $/lb per package at the counter |
| Extra processing fees | None — included | Kill fee, cut & wrap, vacuum sealing, extras | None, but built into shelf price |
| Final bill known upfront | Yes, before you pay | No — second invoice at pickup | Yes, per trip |
| Cuts customizable | Yes, your cut sheet with our butcher | Usually yes | No |
| Source animal known | Yes — one named steer, raised here | Sometimes | Rarely |
Where every dollar of your share actually goes.
Percentages are based on the full economics of one steer sold as shares.
Raising the animal
35%Thirty-plus months of grass, hay, mineral, water, and daily care. Wagyu genetics grow slower than commodity beef, and that slow growth is what creates the marbling.
USDA processing, dry-aging & butchery
25%Local USDA-inspected harvest, professional dry-aging, hand-cutting to your cut sheet, and vacuum-sealing. We pay for craft, not commodity throughput.
Cold-chain packaging
8%Vacuum sealing, insulated coolers, freezer packs, and quality control so your share stays frozen solid from our cold room to your freezer.
Local delivery & logistics
10%Coordinated pickup days in Georgetown and routed hand-delivery in Greater Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth. No national freight, no warehouse middleman.
Customer care & cut-sheet service
12%Real humans answering your questions, walking first-timers through their cut sheet, coordinating with the butcher, and making sure your share is exactly what you wanted.
Ranch margin
10%What's left after everything above. This is what keeps the herd growing, the pastures healthy, and Long Road Ranch viable for the next drop.
Live weight → hanging weight → finished beef in your freezer.
Using a typical Long Road Ranch steer as the example. Figures are estimates — every animal is different.
The animal on pasture.
The carcass after harvest — what other ranches charge you per pound for.
Cut, trimmed, vacuum-sealed. Typically 55–65% of hanging weight.
Our share prices are flat. You pay one fixed price for your share — there is no per-pound hanging-weight balance billed to you afterward, the way most ranches do it. Processing, dry-aging, cutting and vacuum-sealing are already in the number you see.
A note from the ranch.
Most beef brands won't show you this page. That's because most are buying commodity cattle, marking it up 4× or 6×, and calling it "premium." We do things the slower way. We raise our own Wagyu, we use a local USDA processor, and we sell direct as shares — no grocery store, no national distributor, no mystery middleman.
Our 10% margin is real. It's what lets us keep raising cattle the right way without cutting corners. When you claim a share, you're not just buying beef — you're keeping a Central Texas ranch in business.
The Long Road Ranch family
Why our flat price beats "$6.50/lb hanging weight" ranches.
Other ranches often quote a low price per pound of "hanging weight" — the carcass before it's cut. That number sounds cheap, but it's only the beginning. By the time you add the kill fee, cut-and-wrap fee, dry-aging charge, vacuum-sealing fee, and pickup or delivery, the real cost per pound of take-home beef can be much higher.
Our share price is one flat number. It includes the steer, the processing, the dry-aging, the butcher's cut sheet, the vacuum-sealing, and the packaging. What you see is what you pay — no hidden per-pound processing fees added after you commit.
Keep reading on price and value
- Grass-Fed Beef in Georgetown, TX: A Local Rancher's Honest Take
- Why a One-Time Beef Share Beats the Grocery Store
- The Georgetown HEB Alternative for Beef (Yes, Really)
- Where to Buy Wagyu Beef in Round Rock, Texas (Honest 2026 Guide)
Sizing it up? Buying a quarter cow in Austin and buying a half cow in Austin walk through the two most common sizes.